Ballot-box.



PATENTED AUG 15, 1905.

T. R, FREEMAN.

BALLOT BOX= APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1905.

iZizz w' '02:

T iTTTil STATES Till-IOMAS RICE FltEEh IAN, ()F SIOUX. FALLQ, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR PATENT (lFFTOlil,

OF ONE- HALF TO JAMES iVIONROlG WOODRUFF, OF SIOUX FALLS,

SOUTH DAKOTA.

BMLLUT BQM.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed May 8. 1905. Serial No. 259,413.

Be it known that I, THOMAS .ltron FannMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county, State of South Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful limprovel'nents in Ballot-Boxes; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claims par ticularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to ballot-boxes; and it consists in a device of that character possessing the necessary characteristics for lodgeworlc and details of construction which render it simple and useful.

The following specification describes the idea, and the accompanying drawings show the ballot-box in twin form, one side being for open voting and the other side for secret voting; 1 have taken advantage of this form of illustration to show in the two sides of the box two of the many dumping means which may be employed to empty the compartments of their contents.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view of this device with half of one lid broken away and half of the opposite cover removed and the drawer slightly open. Fig. H is a central transverse section. Fig. HT is a longitudinal section through that side containingthe slide, showing the cover raised and one of its wings folded inward. Fig. 1V is a detail of the hinged dump and its operating means. Fig. V is a detail of a modified slide.

In the drawings, 1 designates a casing, which in the present instance is rectangular, with a roof-shaped top having a 'lixed central longitudinal ridge-pole 2, provided with a handle Hinged to opposite sides of this ridgepole are similar lids 4, each havinga plurality of holes or openings 5, with adjacent labelholders 6 to contain the names of the candidates. When secret balloting is desired, a cover 7 is hinged to the ridge-pole above its lid and provided with wings 8, hinged at their extremities so as to fold inward when the cover is not used and permit it to lie flat upon.

the wings in place.

Within the casing a central longitudinal partition 1O depends from the ridge-pole, and transverse partitions 11 extend from this central partition outward to the sides of the casing to form as many compartments as there are voting-openings 5 above. Each com partment has a bottom raised above the true bottom of the body, and within the latter slides a drawer 12, which passes under allthesc compartments and preferably extends the full width of the casing.

Various means may be employed for dumping the ballots from the compartments into the drawer; but I have illustrated only two. At one side of the device the bottom 20 is hinged at 21 at its outer edge within the easing, while its inner edge is raised against the lower edges of the partitions by a crank-shaft 22, extending through the casing beneath this swinging bottom and having a knob 23 at its front end on the exterior of the casing. By properly manipulating this knob the crank may be given a quartcr-revolution from its upright position, in which it holds the bottom closed to a horizontal position, in which it permits the descent of the inner edge of said bottom and dumps all the ballots into the drawer, properly directing those from each compartment in the respective compartment in the drawer, providing the latter is so divided. At the other side of the partition I have shown a fixed bottom 30 extending beneath the compartments and shaped within each of them so as to shed its contents to an outlet-hole 31, and beneath this bottom moves a slide 32, operated by a knob 33, extending through the front end of the casing. In Fig. 1H, 1 have shown the holes 36 in this slide as adapted to register with the holes 31 in the bottom 30 simultaneously when the slide is drawn forward, and this construction would dump all the ballots into the drawer, wherein they would become mixed unless the latter was provided with partitions 13. In Fig. V, however, is shown a diagram wherein the holes in the slide are placed at greater distances from each other than those in the bottom 30, and by this construction the slide when pulled out one step would dump the ballots in the first compartment, and they could then be counted in and removed from the drawer, the slide when pulled out another step would dump the ballots out of the second compartment, and so on.

In use one ballot (usually a ball or marble) is given to each voter, and the ballot-box then passes around, or, as is more customary, the voters form in line and pass by the box to deposit their ballots. If no secret voting is desired, the open side of the box may be used. If secret balloting is in order, the cover is raised and balloting is done on that side of the box. As above suggested, each half of the illustrated device is an independent ballot-box, and either or both might be employed. The voter has but to read the names of the candidate and deposit his marble in the hole adjacent the label which names his favorite. The balls drop into their proper compartments, and later they may be dumped, as above described, and counted by the tellers. It is quite possible that it may be desirable on occasions to lock the lids down and the drawer closed in order that no one may gain access to the interior until the voting is closed and the tellers called upon; but I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate these locks. The size, shapes, proportions, and materials of parts are not essential.

hat is claimed as new is 1. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having a fixed pole along its top and interior partitions dividing it into compart ments; of alid hinged to said pole and having voting-openings corresponding with the compartments, a cover also hinged to the pole above the lid, and means for holding the cover raised above the lid to facilitate secret voting, as described.

2. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having a fixed pole along its top and interior partitions dividing it into compartments; of a lid hinged to said pole and having voting-openings corresponding with the compartments, a cover also hinged to the pole above the lid, wings hinged beneath the ends of the cover and adapted to rest on the ends of the casing when the cover is raised or to fold in under the latter when it is lowered, and tongues at the lower end of the wings to engage the casing, as described.

3. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having a fixed pole at its top and votingopenings adjacent, partitions forming compartments between said openings, a drawer at the bottom of the casing, and means for d umping from the compartments into the drawer; of a cover hinged to said pole, and means for holding the cover raised above the lid to facilitate secret voting, as described.

A. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having a fixed pole at its top and votingopenings adjacent, partitions forming compartments between said openings, a drawer at the bottom of the casing, and means for dumping from the compartments into the drawer; of a cover also hinged to the pole above the lid, wings hinged beneath the ends of the cover and adapted to rest on the ends of the casing when the cover is raised or to fold in under the latter when it is lowered, and tongues at the lower end of the wings to engage the casing, as described.

5. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having voting-openings in its top, and a drawer at the bottom of the casing; of upright partitions above the drawer forming compartments corresponding with the openings, a hole in the bottom of each compartment,and a slide working beneath said bottoms and having holes spaced differently from those in the bottom and adapted to register at different times therewith.

6. In a ballot-box, the combination with a casing having voting-openings in its top, and a drawer at the bottom of the casing; of upright partitions above the drawer forming compartments corresponding with the openings, a' hole in the bottom of each compartment,and a slide working beneath said bottoms and having holes adapted to register successively with those therein, the holes in the slide being spaced farther apart than those in the compartments, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A ballot-box comprising a casing with a central fixed ridge-pole at its top, partitions within the casing forming a series of compartments at either side of the center, votingopenings in the lid corresponding with said compartments,label-holders adjacenttheopenings, and a hood-shaped cover attached to the ridge-pole and extending over one set of voting-openings and having wing-shaped end pieces, for the purpose set forth.

8. A ballot-box comprising a casing with a central fixed ridge-pole at its top, partitions within the casing forming a series of compartments at either side of the center,'votingopenings in the lid corresponding with said compartments, a cover hinged to said ridgepole at one side thereof, and wings hinged beneath the ends of the cover and adapted to fold thereunder or when opened to form a hood for one set of x 'oting-openings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature this the 24th day of April, A. D. 1905.

THOMAS RICE FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

HARRIE P. AVERY, L. PRITZKAN. 

